A Deputy Director at the National Universities Commission (NUC), Mr. Ashafa Ladan, disclosed on Wednesday that less than 50 per cent of Nigerian university lecturers have doctoral degrees.

Ladan made this disclosure in Ilorin, the Kwara State capital, while delivering a lecture on the “Challenges of Private Universities’ Proprietorship in Nigeria” at the founder’s day ceremony of Al-Hikmah University, Ilorin.

Ladan lamented that inadequate teaching personnel at the universities have negative effect on accreditation performance of most universities.

He added that this shortfall had also affected the smooth running of many private universities in the country.

Enumerating the challenges confronting the over 50 private universities in the country, he said: “Most of the teaching staff in private universities are either employed on sabbatical, visiting or adjunct basis due essentially to difficulty in attracting quality staff at this level.

“The quality of teaching staff (senior lecturers and above) posed a greater challenge with regards to mentoring, research and research leadership, effective linkages, journal publication and the general evaluation system of standing of the university.”

He also identified poor administration as one of the challenges of private universities, saying they fail to put in place good management structure, adding that proprietors end up being bursars, giving honorary degrees and registrars.

In his remarks, the Kwara State Governor, Alhaji Abdulfatah Ahmed, who was represented by the Commissioner for Tertiary Education, Science and Technology, Alhaji Abdulwahab Opakunle, urged private universities to identify innovative ways of overcoming challenges confronting them.